August 2024 Issue
A monthly forum to share diversity, equity, and inclusion resources.
Welcome to the next installment of Read.Watch.Listen. This month, we are sharing resources on supporting our transgender peers in the AEC industry. Transgender History Month has been celebrated in the city of San Francisco in August since 2021, and the state of California is honoring this month for the first time in 2024.
Transgender individuals have been struggling for their rights for centuries, and the fight continues to this day. To learn more about the history of trans people's long fight for equality, we recommend watching this TED Talk by transgender activist and TED Resident Samy Nour Younes. This struggle has increased recently in the United States due to an unprecedented number of anti-trans bills being considered at the state and national level.
The following resources provide ideas for supporting our transgender peers, especially as they face this continued discrimination.
Read.Watch.Listen is a monthly forum hosted by the NCSEA SE3 Committee to share and promote conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion within the structural engineering profession. Each month, we will curate a series of articles, audio-visual and digital media to facilitate self-education in matters that affect our professional practice as structural engineers. Whether you choose to read, watch, or listen (or all three!), we hope you will join us in this important conversation. Missed the previous issue? Check out the NCSEA SE3 Committee News and Publication page.
Share your thoughts and/or recommended resources for the next issue at ncsea@ncsea.com.
Companies are Failing Trans Employees - HBR
Through a nationwide survey, HBR learned about the experiences of transgendered individuals. Many individuals cited concerns around negative reactions and career damage from being fully out at work or reported harassment at work. This article shares numerous ways for firms to become more inclusive for our trans peers, including: commitment of senior leadership to DEI, robust HR policies, sensitivity training, and accountable managers.
Originally published March 31, 2023; Estimated Read Time - 10 min
Meet Christina Riley, a senior planning engineer and a trans female role model - InterEngineering
InterEngineering is an organization based in London, United Kingdom that aims to spread diversity and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community within engineering and construction. In this video, they interviewed Christina Riley, a skilled senior planning engineer and trans female role model, about her experience transitioning within the industry. Riley shared that, despite her fears, she was widely supported by her colleagues, managers, and company after she transitioned and formally came out. She encourages others to hold onto hope and seek out organizations like InterEngineering that can offer support. For more information about InterEngineering, you can visit their website at https://interengineeringlgbt.com.
Originally aired February 1, 2017; 00:04:51
How to Support Your Transgender Employees with Tara Robertson - Improve It!
This podcast interviews Tara Robertson, an advocate for equality and inclusion who partners with technology, engineering and media leaders to help drive systemic change. In this episode, she discusses policies that firms can use to create welcoming environments for transgender employees. Additionally, she shares “three things that you can START doing as a people leader to support trans employees, and what you can STOP doing as a people leader to ensure a safe space for all.”
Originally posted June 22, 2022; 00:41:15
This article was originally published in the August 2024 issue of NCSEA's Structural Connection newsletter. For more information, check out NCSEA's DEI Resources.